Michal Simecek

I am 28 years old and originally come from the Czech Republic. I moved to Finland a few years back to study sport psychology in Jyväskylä, and after graduation I moved to Helsinki to work in tennis and sport psychology.

I got into tennis already as a child through my dad who is an accomplished player and has been actively competing his whole life. My childhood was spent on tennis and football tournaments, practicing and competing with my brother.

As a player, since I am left-handed, I always loved playing the ”Rafael Nadal way” of using forehand as much as possible. I move well on the court and have a very powerful forehand but I have to admit my serve could improve.

In terms of coaching, I am most intrigued by the mental part of tennis. I love finding ways to teach players how to think, to get to flow and to improve their mindset on court. My speciality is pressure training drills, on which I also wrote my master thesis.

The best part of coaching is seeing people enjoying the sport as much as I do and interacting with so many interesting and fun people.

My favorite tennis player is Roger Federer, it’s just a treat to watch him play.

I am very impressed with the work HVS is doing. They are taking care of the well-being of everyone involved and are constantly innovating which makes me excited for the future!